LED traffic lights in Lincolnshire bid to save £60k per year

LED energy-saving lamps are being installed on a third of traffic lights across Lincolnshire in a bid to save around £60,000 per year.

Lincolnshire Highways Alliance is installing over 1,400 low-energy LED light systems in traffic lights and pedestrian crossings to make them greener and to save money.

The project is paid for using the the Salix Fund, which is an interest-free loan for councils to help improve energy efficiency.

Tim Clark, traffic signals manager, said: “The new LED light systems will be up to six times more energy efficient.

“We estimate that they will reduce carbon emissions by 300 tonnes every year.

“Hopefully they will last about ten years, which will deliver an energy saving of about £60,000 each year.

“The light systems are the latest technology on the market and we are installing them in about a third of the light signals that exist on our county’s entire road network.

“We started replacing the lamp units in March and hope to complete the work by September.

“We would like to upgrade them all, but at some sites the technology is not compatible, however we will install new LED lights as standard at all new sites.”

Lincolnshire County Council spent over £1.4 million on energy projects in council offices, schools, Fire and Rescue HQ, Lincoln Central Library, The Collection and the Museum of Lincolnshire Life.

Senior sustainability officer Steve Golightly said: “The energy saving measures we have invested in to date have reduced the authority’s carbon footprint by over 1,500 tonnes of CO2 each year – that’s about the same weight as 128 double-decker buses – while also delivering an annual saving in excess of £300,000.

“On average, it takes about four years to recover the money we invest through energy savings,” he added.

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